After serving as Northwest High School’s interim principal since February, Tricia Lutkenhaus will continue to serve as the campus’s permanent principal, Northwest ISD announced Thursday morning.
“Serving as principal of Northwest High School has simply felt ‘right’ and I’m honored to continue that work with our amazing teachers and staff,” she said. “I am focused on fostering a strong environment where teachers have the support they need to lead our students to high achievement across their academic endeavors and extracurricular activities.”
Lutkenhaus previously served as the principal of Pike Middle School from 2021 to 2025 before serving as the principal of Barksdale Middle School in preparation for its opening in August.
However, she will now remain at the district’s flagship high school, which is where her husband, George, previously coached cross country and track and field.
Her son, Cooper, is a junior at Northwest High School and has had extreme success competing for the school’s cross country and track programs.
Recently, he opted to stop competing for the school in UIL competition and signed a professional contract with Nike. Since, he has set multiple records in the 800-meter run.
“This is a campus my children have all attended and I have tremendous respect for its traditions and legacy within Northwest ISD,” said Tricia Lutkenhaus.
Throughout her career, Lutkenhaus has earned accolades for her leadership and commitment to high academic standards. She received the 2022 Outstanding Principal award from the Texas Secondary School Principals, and the Texas Music Educators Association named her a Distinguished Administrator for the 2024-2025 school year. She has completed the Principals’ Institute program, a nationally recognized professional development for school leaders. As a teacher, she was named Pike Middle School’s Exemplar Educator in 2017.
Since she will take on the role at Northwest High School, Northwest ISD will select a new principal for Barksdale Middle School, which is located within the Pecan Square development in Northlake.
The district anticipates a decision to be made for a new principal at its April 13 school board meeting, well ahead of the campus’s opening date in August.
Mrs. Lutkenhaus earned her master’s degree in education administration from Lamar University and her bachelor’s degree in science from the University of North Texas.
